Culinary implement



Nov. 1, 1949.

A. L. ROMAZON 2,486,496

CULINARY IMPLEMENT Filed July 10, 1946 ALEU 5t .R mm az an Patented Nov.1, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT CULINARY IMPLEMENT August L. Romazon,Rayville, Mo. Application July 10, 1946, Serial No. 682,634 2 Claims.(01. 294-104) This invention relates to a fork-like implement for use incooking meat items or other food items capable of being roasted and isespecially adapted for use in roasting over an open fire and isparticularly intended for use in holding frankfurters for roasting inthis manner.

A primary object of the invention is to provide an implement of theabove described character capable of being readily maintained in asanitary condition and which may be economically manufactured and whichwill be durable and efficient in operation for its intended purpose.

Still a further aim of the invention is to provide an implement for usein roasting food items having a jaw for piercing the item to be roastedand which effectively functions to prevent casual release of the fooditem.

Still a further aim of the invention is to provide an implement of theabove described character equipped with spring means for effectivelyretaining the piercing jaw thereof in an operative position.

Still another aim of the invention is to provide an implement of suchconstruction that it may be very efiectively manufactured of heavy gaugewire.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter becomemore fully apparent from the following description of the drawing,illustrating preferred embodiments thereof, and wherein:

Figure l is a perspective view of a preferred form of the culinaryimplement;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary perspective view of a slightly modified formthereof, and

Figure 3 is a fragmentary top plan view of another modification of theculinary implement.

Referring more specifically to the drawing, and referring particularlyto Figure 1, the culinary implement in its entirety is designatedgenerally 5 and includes a fixed section, designated gen erally 6, and apivoted section, designated generally l.

The fixed section 6 preferably formed from an elongated strand ofrelatively heavy gauge wire which is bent double and the ends of whichare correspondingly bent to arcuate form and disposed in outwardlydiverging relationship to one another to form a fixed jaw 8 which opensupwardly. The strand portions 9, extending from the jaw 8, are disposedin abutting relationship and are secured together at spaced points byclamping collars ID. The strand portions 9 terminate, intermediate ofthe ends of the section 6 in upstanding loops 1 l which merge intoOFFICE laterally spaced, corresponding shank portions [2 which plane asthe portions menth therewith.

seen in dotted lines upstandin loops H shank portions 9 so are disposedin substantially the same 9 and substantially in align- The shankportions l2 as in Figure 1, merge with the on the outer sides of thethat said loops ll tend to space the shank portions I2 from one another.The strand of wire forming the section 6 is provided with an elonga ted,laterally enlarged intermediate portion forming a handle i3 which isprovided with substantially parallel legs having converging inner ends Mwhich merge with the adjacent ends of the A rigid clamp 55.1 handle l3,adjacent shank portions l2.

the converging portions M and spans and is clamped to the parallel legsthereof for retaining apart relationship,

said legs in properly spaced relatively to one another and forcooperating with the loops H for holding the shank portions l2 in spacedapart relationship, for a purpose come. apparent.

which will hereinafter be- The implement section 1 is likewise formedfrom a single strand form a downwardly of wire which is bent torextending loop l6, intermediate of its ends and which is disposedbetween the loops II and pivotally connected pivot pin I! which extendsthrough thereto by a the eyes of the aligned loops II- and It, forpivotally supporting, the implement section l on the implement section 6and thereabove. wire strand forming the section wardly and tapered Oneend of the is turned downto form a piercing jaw l8 which is disposedabove and for movement toward and away from the law 8, as indicated infull and dotted lines in Figure 1. loop l6 and the opposite end of theBetween the strand forming the section I, said strand is provided with adownwardly extending, substantially V-shaped portion IS, the legsswinging movement of which are disposed for between the shank portionsl2. The shank portions I2 are spaced sufficiently to permit freemovement of the portion Hi therebetween but sufiiciently close to forthe swinging m The outer leg of the portion i provide a guide theportion l9. 9 terminates in ovement of an outturned, flattened andwidened part 20, which forms the opposite terminal of said strand andwhich is disposed above the handle l3 to form a thumb rest, for apurpose which will hereinafter be described.

The substantially V-shaped portion I9 is provided with an outwardlyprojecting apertured extension 2| at the apex thereof which is connectedto one end of a contractile coil spring 22, the opposite end of which isconnected at 23 to the clamp 15.

From the foregoing it will be readily obvious that a frankfurter orother food article, as indi cated in dotted lines in Figure 1 at 24 maybe placed in the groove formed by the jaw 8 when the piercing jaw 18 isin its opened, dotted line position of Figure 1. The piercing jaw I8 ismoved to an open position by a downward pressure on the thumb rest 20for moving said thumb rest downwardly and toward the handle 13 andagainst the action of the contractile spring 22. After the food item 24is thus disposed, the pressure on the thumb rest 20 is released, thuspermitting the spring 22 to move the portion l9 upwardly to rock thesection 1 on its pivot l1, thereby causing the piercing jaw [8 to beswung downwardly toward the jaw 8 for piercing the food item 24. Thespring 22 retains the jaw I8 in its full line position of Figure 1, andin piercing engagement with the item 24 to effectively retain said itemin engagement between the jaws 8 and I8. With the food item 24 thusheld, the user by grasping the handle l3 may hold the jaw end of theimplement 5 over a fire for roasting the food item 24 therein. After thefood item has been sufficiently cooked, the implement 24 is removed fromthe fire and by placing the thumb of the hand grasping the handle 13 onthe rest 20, said rest can be returned to its dotted line position tothereby move the piercing jaw 18 upwardly and out of engagement with theitem 24, to permit said item to be slid or rolled from the jaw 8 bytilting or canting the implement 5.

A slightly modified form of the invention is disclosed in Figure 2wherein the implement, designated generally 25 differs from theimplement 5 only in that the lower section 26 thereof, instead of beingprovided with the shank portions 9 con- *1 nected by the clamps I0, isprovided with a portion 25, located between the jaws 8 and loops llthereof and formed by twisting the strand portions of the section 25,which are located between the parts 8 and I l. The implement 25 in allother respects is identical to the implement 5.

A portion of an implement, designated generally 21 and which constitutesa slight modification of the implement 5, is illustrated in Figure 3.The implement 21 differs from the implement 5 in that instead of beingprovided with a singleprong piercing jaw 18, the swingably mountedpiercing jaw 28 of the implement 21 is bifurcated to form two laterallyspaced downwardly extending piercing prongs. Otherwise, the implement 21is identical in construction and operation to the implement 5.

Numerous other modifications and changes are likewise contemplated andmay obviously be resorted to, without departing from the spirit andscope of the invention as hereinafter defined by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a culinary implement, a pair of elongated sections disposed inspaced apart, substantially parallel relationship, when in operativepositions, said sections being pivotally connected intermediate of theirends and being provided with clamping jaws, adjacent corresponding endsthereof, one of said sections being provided with a handle portion atits opposite end, said other sectionhaving a lever portion at itsopposite end terminating adjacent said handle portion and adapted to bemanually moved toward the handle portion for opening the clamping jawsand the implement section, provided with said handle, having alongitudinally extending slotted guide portion, said other sectionhaving a downwardly offset portion in the lever part thereof slidablyreceived in said slotted guide portion.

2. In a culinary implement, a pair of elongated sections disposed inspaced apart, substantially parallel relationship, when in operativepositions, said sections being pivotally connected intermediate of theirends and being provided with clamping jaws, adjacent corresponding endsthereof, one of said sections being provided with a handle portion atits opposite end, said other section having a lever portion at itsopposite end terminating adjacent said handle portion and adapted to bemanually moved toward the handle portion for opening the clamping jaws,the section, provided with a handle, having a slotted guide portionadjacent thereto, said other section being provided with a downwardlyoffset portion in the lever part thereof slidably received in said guideportion, and a contractile spring connected at one end to saiddownwardly offset portion and at its opposite end to the handle forurging the jaws toward closed positions.

AUGUST L. ROMAZON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 629,981 Brann Aug. 1, 18991,470,142 Busch Oct. 9, 1923 2,217,319 Poole et al Oct. 8, 19402,286,708 Bair June 16, 1942

